There are numerous electronic control system applications in which piezoelectric deflectors are potentially useful. These include, for instance, regulating fluid flow in a hydraulic amplifier system, regulating air or fuel in a combustion system, and so forth. The piezoelectric deflectors are desirable since they are less subject to damage as a result of vibration, and consume much less power than magnetic coil, solenoid type actuators. They also can be made much smaller and lighter.
In order to achieve a desired deflection, either a very long piece of piezoelectric material or stacks of thin piezoelectric slabs or platelets, with alternating electrodes, must be utilized. A large, single crystal actuator requires many kilovolts to establish the necessary field for the desired deflection. Use of stacks of polished wafers, with interspersed electrodes, can reduce the voltage requirements to between several hundred and several thousand volts, but are expensive due to the requirement of hand labor in assembling the stacks. Recent advances in microelectronics renders it highly desirable that all types of appropriate sensors be operable at compatible voltages (tens of volts, rather than hundreds of volts).